SLEEP FOR HEALTH

This website is dedicated to your good sleep. In this very busy, constantly active world, sleep is something that seems to be getting less and less respect. Studies show that one in three adults sleep less than seven hours per night and are chronically sleep deprived. Too little sleep and we will feel unmotivated, depressed or grumpy and we will not have the energy to meet the challenges of life.

Sleep is essential to our mental and physical well-being - so important in fact that it should be thought of as our third pillar of health. Along with food and exercise, good, quality sleep enables us to be the best we can be.

There are many reasons why we may not sleep well. Some of us may just not give ourselves the time to sleep enough, others though, despite their very best efforts struggle night after night to get the sleep they so desperately desire.

By exploring this website you will gain a greater understanding of sleep. You will find out why sleep is our third pillar of health. You will discover the many reasons for sleeplessness and importantly learn ways to ensure that you sleep well - always.

Dr Carmel Harrington (PhD, LLB, BSc, DipEd)

Dr Carmel Harrington has been working in the world of sleep for nearly 20 years. A former lawyer and educator she has a PHD in Sleep Medicine from Sydney University and consults with companies and educational institutions both here and overseas on sleep health.

An internationally recognised sleep expert, Dr Harrington is amazed at the seemingly little importance given to sleep. Research shows that sleep is critical to our physical and mental health and is fundamental to our ability to think and learn. Emerging research clearly shows that sleeping well is a key component to optimal performance and health and if we want to be at the top of our game we need to ensure we get the best sleep possible.

Dr Harrington is the Managing Director of Sleep for Health and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Children's Hospital Westmead. She is a founding member of the Sleep Health Foundation and a member of the Australasian Sleep Association. She has written two books "The Sleep Diet" (MacMillan Press 2012) and "The complete guide to a good night's sleep" (MacMillan Press 2014).

Testimonials

"Dr Carmel Harrington spoke on sleep and performance at our annual retreat meeting for CEOs and their partners on the Gold Coast in March 2015. She was engaging, confident, informative and passionate on the topic. She displayed great expertise and knowledge around the subject matter, but importantly, tailored the session to make it very relevant to the audience of CEOs and their partners she was addressing. She had some excellent practical advice for busy people who cross times zones regularly in their roles. The feedback, both formal and informal, has been terrific." (2015)

James O'Toole
Managing Director,
CEO Forum Group

"Insightful, witty and well-researched speaker on this vexing topic. Her ability to simultaneously face everyone up to their sleep needs, while empathising with their (mostly) bad sleep habits, means she is a riveting and popular presenter with the ability to make a lasting difference to her audience." (2015)

Gayle Austen
Director, Women in Multinationals
CEO Forum Group

"Dr Carmel Harrington is one of a rare breed of clinical experts, capable of readily translating complex scientific research into accessible and thought-provoking information for both professional and lay audiences. ResMed has utilised Dr Harrington's services on numerous occasions - as a keynote speaker for our Global Supplier Alliance awards program, for video presentations aimed at both consumers and employee audiences; and also as a media spokesperson for national television, print and radio (2014)

Linda Brown,
Communications Specialist
ResMed

"This was my fourth conference with Sleepy's and there is no doubt that your presentation was the best received from our network. They are still talking about you, your book and your presentation and I have been in store and heard first hand some of the key take outs from your discussion.
I am not sure if you are aware of the impact you have on people especially during your presentation but I can assure you that your approach to keeping it simple while still using all of your professional terminology demonstrates a level of respect to your listeners that is not always evident in other speakers." (2014)

2014 NSW Selective Schools Deputy Principal Conference

".....Dr Harrington delivered the latest sleep research to our (teaching) staff in a most professional and personable manner. Overwhelmingly staff commented that it was one of the most relevant staff development sessions they had experienced . Dr Harrington's assistance in creating student sleep diaries for our Friday Focus groups and her evaluation and analysis of the senior sleep diaries has been an invaluable tool for providing further education and awareness programs to students. Dr Harrington's delivery of a follow-up sleep latency program targeted students with specific sleep needs and has been positively received by both students and attending staff. The program draws on the students' own sleep issues ensuring a very personalised and therefore relevant presentation." (2014)

Kathy Marriott
Hornsby Girls High School
HT Welfare 2014

I found Carmel's presentation to be very informative and inspiring, her presentation skills made the subject easy to understand and very interesting. She delivered the information in a clear, concise way which allowed lots of information to be delivered in the short amount of time she had available. She has a lovely speaking voice and is confident in the way she presents her subject. She made me want to go to bed earlier! (2013)

Meryl Pearse
Account Manager
Amicus Interiors

"Dr Carmel Harrington is a consummate professional. Her talks are well prepared and presented and she tailors the message to her audience to ensure that the message is relevant. She presents in an interactive and charming manner." (2013)